SYSTEMROMEDIC READYBELT WALKING AND SUPPORT BELT

The SystemRoMedic ReadyBelt is a walking and support belt. It goes around a person who is on their feet, or getting to their feet, and gives the caregiver a row of ergonomic handles to steady and guide them: during mobility training, coming up out of a chair, and moving between bed, wheelchair, toilet and car. Westin Healthcare supplies, fits and delivers it across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area.

Three sizes are on this page, Small, Medium and Large, and you choose from the picker above. ReadyBelt belongs to Direct Healthcare Group's Ready for Life range, the straightforward home-care line within SystemRoMedic.

What a ReadyBelt is for, and what it is not for

This is a support belt for a person who can take at least some weight through their own legs. In the SystemRoMedic range that is the Support category: aids for mobility support during sit-to-stand or gait training.

It is not a lifting device. Direct Healthcare Group states in the instructions for use that ReadyBelt is not to be used as an assistive device for lifting. There are no lift loops on this belt and it must never be attached to a hoist or used to take a person's full weight. If the person cannot weight-bear, the right products are a sit to stand lift or a patient lift with a proper sling.

It is also not a sliding aid. A person who is lying down and being moved from one surface to another needs a slide board or slide sheet, not a belt. A belt is for somebody upright.

• Mobility and gait training, where the caregiver walks alongside
• Rising from a chair, a bed or a toilet with caregiver assistance
• Bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet, wheelchair to car
• Home care and community settings where a simple, well-made belt is what is needed

Choosing your size

The three articles differ in belt length and handle count, and Direct Healthcare Group publishes a user weight band against each one.

The bands overlap on purpose, so a person near a boundary can take either belt. Where that happens, the longer belt gives more adjustment and one more handle for the caregiver. The belt is meant to be fastened and tightened, so a little extra length is not a problem; too little is.

Tell us the person's weight and, if you can, the measurement around them where the belt will sit, and we will confirm the article before you order. Getting this right the first time is easier for everyone than exchanging it later.

The load figures, stated plainly

Direct Healthcare Group prints two numbers for ReadyBelt and we would rather show you both than quietly pick one.

• The cover of the current instructions for use gives SWL 150 kg (331 lb) against all three article numbers. That is the belt's stated safe working load as a support device.
• The size page of the same manual gives a per-article band: 25 to 55 kg for the Small, 50 to 75 kg for the Medium, 70 to 110 kg for the Large. These read as fitting bands, which is how we present them above, and they are the numbers to size by.

Neither figure is a lifting capacity. If you need a written confirmation from the manufacturer about which figure governs your situation, ask us and we will get it for you before you order.

How it is worn and used

Apply the belt around the person, below the waist but above the hips, then fasten it and tighten it. The clasp opens, closes and tightens easily, and a non-slip surface on the inside stops the belt riding up as the caregiver pulls. To take it off, release the clasp, loosening any straps first.

Several ergonomically designed handles, vertical and horizontal, let the caregiver take a secure grip and stand in a good working position whatever the situation. Caregivers can work in pairs or alone depending on what the person needs; with two, cross-grips at the back give support and a sound stance. Do not leave the person unattended during a transfer.

Checking the belt before you use it

ReadyBelt has one inspection step that other belts do not, and it exists because the non-slip inner face is the part that does the work.

• Friction test. Press the material against the underlying surface and roll it back and forth. Note whether it still grips as well as it did. Compare with a new belt if you have one. A belt whose inner face has gone slippery will ride up in use.
• Handles and seams. Pull on the handles to check the seams and the strength.
• Visual check. Look over the condition regularly and always after laundering. Seams and material should be free from damage and the fabric should not be worn or faded. At any sign of wear, take the belt out of service.

SystemRoMedic ReadyBelt specifications

Every figure below is confirmed for the article numbers on this page. Where the manufacturer publishes nothing, this table says nothing.

ReadyBelt is a Class I medical device and complies with Medical Device Regulation 2017/745.

ReadyBelt or one of the other belts

We publish more than one support belt and they are not interchangeable.

• ReadyBelt is the Ready for Life belt: three sizes, a non-slip polyester construction, sized by the person's weight. A sound, uncomplicated choice for home care and mobility training.
• FlexiBelt is the wider belt from the EasyBelt and FlexiBelt line, sized by waist measurement across a longer ladder, with a soft polyester velvet inner and a hug option whose handles slide in loops.
• WalkingBelt is built for children in gait training and is held in place by a padded leg harness, with two long handles for the caregiver walking behind.
• DisposableBelt is the single-use option for an isolation room.
• ErgoSafe ErgoBelts are an alternative belt family we also stock.

If a belt is not enough support for walking, the RoWalker 400 gait trainer takes over, and our walkers range covers what a person works towards. If the rise out of the chair is the hard part, look at the Handicare ReTurn sit-to-stand aid.

Accessory: SupportStraps

SupportStraps, article 6061, supplied as a pair, can be used as a leg harness with ReadyBelt. That holds the belt down on a person who has little to keep it in place, and it is the manufacturer's own answer to that problem. Ask us to add a pair to your order.

Cleaning and laundering

• Do not use rinsing agent.
• Avoid tumble drying, which prolongs the life of the belt.
• Read the label on your own belt before the first wash.
• Inspect the belt every time it comes back from the laundry, including the friction test described above.

Direct Healthcare Group publishes one care standard across its SystemRoMedic textile manual aids: wash in 60 to 80 C (140 to 176 F) water and tumble dry at low temperature, where low means 45 to 50 C (104 to 120 F). Where disinfection is called for, the same guidance names 70 per cent ethanol or 45 per cent isopropanol. If your infection control policy really calls for a single-use belt, look at the SystemRoMedic DisposableBelt instead.

Delivery in Brampton and the GTA

Westin Healthcare's own team delivers across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area. A belt needs no assembly, so the only thing worth getting right before it ships is the size. Tell us the person's weight when you order and we will confirm the article with you.

We have three stores in the Brampton and Toronto area if you would like to handle a belt and try the clasp before you decide. Call (905) 451-7743 or use our contact page. Outside the GTA, ask us for a shipping quote; terms are on our shipping policy page.

Service, support, and warranty

Westin Healthcare has a service and repairs department. A belt is not a repairable item, so for this product the support is correct fitting and replacement, and we keep the relationship for both.

Manufacturer warranty

Ask us for the current Direct Healthcare Group terms that ship with your order. A belt that has been altered, or that shows the wear the manufacturer tells you to discard it for, is not a warranty case. We will tell you honestly which one you have.

Frequently asked questions

What size ReadyBelt do I need?

Size by the person's weight against the manufacturer bands: Small for 25 to 55 kg, Medium for 50 to 75 kg, Large for 70 to 110 kg. The bands overlap, so if the person sits on a boundary the longer belt gives more adjustment and one extra handle. Call us with the weight and we will confirm the article.

Where does the belt sit on the body?

Around the person, below the waist but above the hips. Fasten it and tighten it before you begin, and check the clasp and handles first. The non-slip inner face is what stops it riding up once the caregiver takes hold.

How much weight can a ReadyBelt take?

The manual cover gives a safe working load of 150 kg (331 lb) for the ReadyBelt range as a support device. The size page separately gives a per-article user weight band, which is what you size by. Neither number is a lifting capacity.

Can I lift somebody with a ReadyBelt?

No. Direct Healthcare Group states that ReadyBelt is not to be used as an assistive device for lifting. The belt steadies and guides a person who is taking weight through their own legs. If they cannot weight-bear, you need a sit to stand lift or a patient lift with a sling.

What is the difference between ReadyBelt and FlexiBelt?

ReadyBelt is the simpler Ready for Life belt: three sizes, 100 mm wide, non-slip polyester, sized by the person's weight. FlexiBelt comes from the EasyBelt and FlexiBelt line: 120 mm wide, sized by waist measurement across a longer ladder, with a velvet inner and a hug handle option. Both are support belts and neither is a lifting device.

How many handles does it have?

Seven on the Small, nine on the Medium, eleven on the Large. They are placed vertically and horizontally so the caregiver can take a secure grip and keep a good working stance from whichever side they are on.

Can one caregiver use it alone?

Yes, where the person's needs allow it. With two caregivers, one works on each side and the cross-grips at the back give both of them support and a good stance.

How do I wash a ReadyBelt?

Read the label on your belt. Do not use rinsing agent, and avoid tumble drying to prolong the life of the product. Direct Healthcare Group's range care guidance sets 60 to 80 C (140 to 176 F) for its textile manual aids. Inspect the belt after every wash, including the friction test on the inner face.

What is the friction test?

Press the belt material against a surface and roll it back and forth, and note whether it still grips as well as it did, comparing with a new belt if you have one. It is the manufacturer's check on the non-slip inner face, which is the part that wears and the part that stops the belt sliding up during a transfer.

Is a walking belt the same as a transfer belt?

For this product, yes: ReadyBelt is used both for mobility training and for transfers between bed, wheelchair, toilet and car, because both jobs involve a person on their feet. What it is not is a lateral transfer aid. Moving somebody who is lying down is a different task that needs a slide board or slide sheet.